There are few things worse than finally making it through another exhausting day, but then not being able to sleep once your head hits the pillow. There are all different levels of insomnia, and if you have trouble sleeping, it might now have anything to do with not being tired enough.
One of the things we like to do is educate our readers, patients and anyone who is willing to listen on the benefits of taking a functional medicine approach towards our symptoms or health issues.
Find the Root of your Insomnia and Treat It
Not being able to sleep might not have anything to do with you staring at your phone going through your Facebook feed, leaving the lights on, or even watching some TV before you finally call it a night. It might be something bigger. A functional medicine approach helps you figure out what’s causing your inability to sleep and then a practitioner can develop a treatment plan that can treat it.
One of the biggest things to look at when you’re struggling to sleep is your diet. If you are constantly drinking sugary sodas or coffee and pairing those drinks with a spicy late-night snack then finding the root might be easier than you think. Sure, telling someone not to eat or drink anything but water right before bed is far from groundbreaking advice, but it can make a huge difference.
The Compound Effect of a Bad Night’s Sleep
Your sleep schedule is like anything else. If you neglect the proper night’s sleep then you will slowly develop issues related to not getting enough rest. The compound effect is real, and it is even harder to bounce back from.
The most important thing you can do is schedule an appointment with a functional medicine practitioner. Give them all of your symptoms and they will ask detailed questions in return to determine whether your inability to sleep is related to low levels of tryptophan or if it’s something as simple as changing your diet. Your tryptophan levels, in many cases, are part of the root problem. You can fight these low levels with vitamins like B6, but it might not always work.
Gut Check
Functional medicine practitioners are constantly preaching about the importance of gut health and with good reason. The majority of your serotonin is made in the gut and if you have a leaky gut, or other issues within your stomach insomnia is likely a side effect of those problems.
Let Us Help
Panther Chiropractic and Functional Medicine has been at the forefront of the functional medicine charge for years and is one of the only true functional medicine practices in the greater Pittsburgh area. If you suffer from a digestive issue or have any other chronic symptoms, give us a call. We’ll be happy to schedule a consultation.